


Undistorted Desires

by CasualTrash



Category: Persona 5
Genre: AU, Akechi lives AU, Fluff and Angst, Like he's recovering, M/M, Post-Canon, akeshu - Freeform, but still alive!!, endgame spoilers, shuake
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-21 12:22:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11944104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasualTrash/pseuds/CasualTrash
Summary: When Akechi wakes up in a hospital bed, he has no choice but to begin bonding with the curly-haired boy who visits him. It's not like he could go anywhere, anyways.





	1. Chapter 1

He didn't want this.

He never asked to be saved, much less by the very person who caused him to have so many mixed feelings about his goals and desires. Even so, the first thing Akechi saw when he regained consciousness was the boy and his signature curly hair.  
At first, he felt mad. Extremely pissed, even. He was weak; in his worst possible state and unable to gather his thoughts in a way that everything would _make sense_.  
Akechi hated when he wasn't in control of the situation. It made him feel vulnerable and uneasy.  
He could hardly even lift his head to send an irritated glare to the boy sleeping in the hospital seat without an overwhelming tiredness hitting him like a brick. What was the time, anyways? Did it really matter? Probably not.  
The brunette squints his eyes, trying to read the glowing red numbers on the digital clock across the room. From what he could make out, it seemed to be just past midnight. No wonder it was so quiet.  
That was most likely for the best, however. Who knows how bad this headache would be if it was too loud?  
Then again, maybe he deserved the pain after all he'd done.  
He may not have known how long he'd been there, but he still felt extremely uncomfortable in the hospital bed. Perhaps he should be grateful for how tired he was, then. Perhaps it would at least allow him to rest easy, despite his current position.  
Perhaps.  
Sadly, his trains of thought wouldn't allow that.  
The young detective felt torn between relief and anger that he was alive.  
One small part of him had hope; hope that he would be able to start everything over again, hope that Shido had been sent to his end, hope that he wouldn't be alone this time...  
He looks over to the sleeping boy with glasses once again, his expression softening. The longer he stares, the more emotions build up.

Hope that maybe he could be forgiven.

After all, why else would they put in so much effort to talk him out of fighting them that one last time..? Would he be able to join the group after this?  
Was _that_ what he desired?  
All other thoughts silence as he questions this.  
He lets out a quiet, airy laugh, slowly bringing a hand up to his face. Rubbing his eye, he wishes he could at least know _that_. After all, if he couldn't figure out what his desires were, what would it be worth living for?  
He's seen himself what a person without desires can be like.  
Imagine that; becoming like one of the people his rivals created.  
The sad smile he had been wearing returns back to it's flat state. He was sure he still had desires. He wouldn't be be trying to figure everything out if he didn't.  
Satisfied that he at least came to one conclusion, he rests his eyes again, only this time he would be able to return to his unconsciousness.

-

The next time he came to, it was much brighter and the previously occupied seat near the bed was now empty. He took advantage of this moment to observe his surroundings.  
It seemed to be a private hospital room; there weren't any other patients nearby, nor the beds for them to stay in. To his left was a window, with Akira's chair in front of it and a bedside with what seemed to be a bouquet of yellow flowers on it.. not that he'd know the name of them.  
He contemplates whether or not he should attempt getting up, not sure if he's willing to face the pain that would come with it. However, if he decided to stay laying down, it would most likely to be more difficult to try later.  
The moment he starts to lift himself up, an excruciating pain becomes apparent in his stomach, and he immediately gives up.  
He quietly groans as he remembers he got shot. He couldn't seem to remember how it it happened, though.  
All he knew was one minute a gun was pointed at his face, and a bullet had gone through him the next. He assumed he would've passed out for the rest of it.  
As much as it bugged him, there was no way for him to know what events took place that day. Who knows what changes had happened in the world during the time the brunette was getting his beauty sleep? Definitely not him.  
Had Christmas come and gone yet? Not that he was ever allowed to celebrate it, or even had the time for it in his teen years. There wasn't a calendar around, and he had no idea where the remote for the tv was.  
Once again, he felt lost. Once again, he had no control of the situation. He was simply left alone with his thoughts- and that was never exactly a good thing.  
He looks back up at the ceiling.  
Maybe he could try and sleep again?  
It was kind of ironic, he used to get hardly any sleep. Now sleeping seemed to be the only thing he was capable of.  
"You spend way too much time here, y'know?" A voice comes from the hallway, followed by a quiet groan. It seemed so familiar, he just couldn't put a name to it. He stares at the black door, waiting as footsteps draw nearer.  
He was frozen, unsure of how he should be reacting right now. Should he pretend to be asleep?  
He can't even decide before the door opens and he finds himself looking into those dark eyes.  
Neither teen knows what to say, both now frozen on the spot. Akira is the first one to break eye contact, however. Before Akechi can open his mouth to ask all of the questions he'd been wanting to ask, the boy with curly hair looks back with a genuine smile.  
"Honey, I'm home?" He says with a short, awkward laugh.  
And at that, Akechi can't help but let the corner of his mouth twitch up for a short moment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two boys, now strangers again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you notice any grammatical errors, please point them out! I would appreciate it!

He was nervous, to say the least. Akira shifts in his chair slightly as Akechi remains silent. The boy with glasses felt kind of disappointed; he'd been sitting there for at least five minutes and was still being given the silent treatment.  
Surely, Akechi wouldn't be that mad at him, right?  
He starts to play with his hair- a habit that Morgana had pointed out a few times. He couldn't help it, though. He had no idea what to say.  
None of the phantom thieves or their associates could believe how much had happened in only a few weeks. And yet, those few weeks felt like a lifetime.  
There was so much that Akechi had missed, and he didn't know where to start.  
Akira could've sworn his heart stopped when he saw a pair of warm eyes meeting his own as Morgana and himself walked through the doorway. He felt so happy seeing that face again, and the joy he saw in return for that split second- whether it be real or just his imagination. He had to go catch a nurse to check up on him. Because of this, he hadn't really gotten a chance to talk with the boy just yet. Akechi had been awake before, but not in a situation suited for conversation.  
In a way, he couldn't blame the brunette. After all, the last conversation they'd had was back in Shido's palace- and that wasn't exactly the best exchange ever.  
He stops staring off into space, and brings his attention back to the young detective at the sound of sheets rustling.  
"Could you assist me?" Akechi asks, moving his arms under himself in an attempt to sit up. Akira nods at this, and sits forward to help the brunette. Somehow, it felt like they were strangers again; like everything they'd experienced meant nothing.  
It wasn't like they'd ever really trusted each other, but at the same time, there still felt like there was a strong bond- kind of like with a childhood friend.  
It saddened him, to be honest. The previous connection they'd shared was all gone. Without a trace, too.  
What's worse was he had know idea how to fix it.  
Akechi was unstable- that was obvious. He'd always known that the young detective was off; there was just something that wasn't right about him.  
At the time, however, he'd hoped it was just a silly guess. They were rivals, after all.  
Even so, after the whole pancake shenanigans and whatnot, everything within his knowledge that Akechi had said and done boiled down to one conclusion; one that he hated, but would have to accept either way.  
Right now, he had another chance- a miracle that would allow the boys to start over with no polititions or personas to get in the way.  
He sits back in the seat after Akechi was comfortable (or, at least as comfortable as he could be).  
"I don't get it." The boy in question starts. Akira watches as his expression shifts into something that seemed to be the combination of depressed and hateful. Sad-mad, perhaps?  
"I deserve an explanation, do I not?" He asks, turning his head towards Akira.  
Again, he had no idea where to start, and reaches a hand behind himself to scratch his neck as he opens his mouth to speak.  
"Well.. none of us exactly know what happened. When we managed to get past the door, they were all gone and you were on the ground," the boy explains quietly.  
"Anything else that happened was most likely your own doing." he finishes. The detective looks down at his hands for a moment before replying to them.  
"I'm sorry, but I don't believe I remember anything either," he says, receiving a shake of the head from Akira,  
"No, don't be sorry. It can't be helped." He knew this from personal experience. Thinking back on it now, some of the bruises he'd received during his time in the police station were still healing- Takemi had mentioned once that bruises on the legs tended to take more time to heal than on upper areas of the body.  
The room remains silent for a moment, Akechi holding his chin in his hand. Akira moves his gaze around the room, waiting patiently. He didn't want to push the brunette- he could tell that Akechi was the type to think everything through at least twice- but he didn't like the silence either.  
"Is.. Where is Shido?" Akechi finally asks, Akira's face remaining monotonous.  
"He's had a change of heart. I kept my promise," he assures the other, who nods in understanding.  
"That would be an amusing sight- watching him beg for forgiveness. I guess I missed a lot, then." Akechi says quietly. Akira shoots him a smile,  
"Too much."  
They both return to silence for a moment, before Akira pulls out his phone.  
"Uh, I have to go-" he grabs the handles of his bag, Morgana inside "-do you have any belongings you want back? The hospital had me mind them while you were recovering, so I can bring them next time if you like?" he asks, standing up. Akechi nods,  
"Yes, that would be appreciated." He pauses in thought,  
"If I may ask, why did they give them to you?"  
Akira frowns at this question.  
"There weren't any family members to contact, so I took responsibility. Niijima-san is busy sorting out my own crimes- the Phantom Thieves case altogether actually, and we didn't want to put any more pressure on her," he explains.  
"I hope that isn't a problem." Akira finishes, receiving a shake of the head from Akechi.  
"Not at all."

-

Akira sits on the train seat, fiddling with the handles on his bag. It was usually pretty empty at this hour, so there wasn't much noise aside from short conversations between the others riding, which created a nice atmosphere to be alone with your thoughts in.  
Akira felt like he should be happy, but there was just something wrong.  
It initially surprised him how calm Akechi was- especially for a person who had spent so long filled with aggression. In a way, it felt like the detective had put on a mask again; just like he had for the majority of the time they'd known each other.  
But then again, what should he expect?  
Akira was there when Akechi had laid out his darkest secrets for everyone to see.  
Did he feel guilty..?  
Morgana stays rather quiet on the way home. He was silent during their time in the hospital, as well. It was kind of worrying for Akira- considering how much the cat tended to join in on conversations.  
As they step off of the train and back out in the dark streets, the black feline decides to poke his head out of the bag.  
"You left really quickly," he states. Akira shrugs at this, "Says the one who usually nags me to leave." he mumbles, sensing the eye roll from his companion without even having to look down.  
"Sorry," the teen replies. Morgana doesn't say anything for a moment, before shifting in his spot on Akira's shoulder.  
"..Were you nervous?" The feline asks.  
"A bit," Akira admits hesitantly, shifting his gaze to him. "He still seemed a bit off.. I didn't know what to do, to be honest." He adds. Morgana looks at the boy with pity,  
"I could tell." he says, leaving the conversation there as they arrive at Leblanc.  
Akira walks in, looking around at the empty room. It appeared that Sojiro had left the lights on for them- like he usually did.  
The boy begins to head up the stairs on the far side of the cafe, placing Morgana and his bag down as he gets there. He falls back onto his bed upon arrival, listening as Morgana joins him.  
"He didn't seem to be too upset, at least," the feline speaks, watching the trickster as he stares at the ceiling. Akira nods, stretching out his legs.  
He sits up after a moment of stillness, and beckons Morgana to follow him over to the old television.  
"How about we finish that movie? It's due back soon." He asks.  
"Sounds like a plan," Morgana replies with a quick nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi my name is trash and im really slow at writing  
> im so sorry this is so short and took so long-- i don't really have an excuse, either ^^;  
> I really need to get back into the swing of things, so I'll try and update quicker!!!
> 
> Also, I'd like your opinion on chapter length. Would you prefer if I tried to put more scenes into a chapter to make them longer, or if I kept it like I am now?  
> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> So I haven't written in like a year, but I hope this is okay and not trash and no one is too out of character!! Thank you for reading ^^


End file.
